Oil tank clearnace

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Dec 5, 2005
Messages
90
Hello all, just a question about the clearance between the back of the oil tank and the battery carrier. My MK11 850 rubs at the back of the battery carrier, all new bushes ETC. Whilst my friends 73 750 has a nice 1/8" gap with the bat carrier/oil tank gap parallel. Should I redrill the bottom mount hole? U now the bolt that is a real pain to get at. I can't really move the top back mount much, due to oil cap clearance on the frame tubes.
Is it a fact of life with the Italian built frames as used on early 850's?

Cheers in advance

Richard
 
Richard,
I had the same problem with my bike, if left unattended to it will eventually fracture the tank which is clearly not desireable. I found the battery tray was made up of several plates one of which wrapped around making it double thickness near the oil tank I simply removed the battery tray hacksawed the extra thickness off and but-welded the two plates from the inside seam. I now have adequate clearance and it wasn't such a bad job. The air filter assembly does have to come off though as do the Z-plate bolts.
 
That bolt on the bottom of the tank has been often known to rip out of the tank and dump 4 quarts of oil in front of the rear wheel. Mine did in London. The fix was to take the bolt off the tank and weld a patch on the tank, place padding between the tank and the battery tray and some inside the side cover. My repair was done by Gus Kuhns who just did this mod out of principal, an all his racers back then. Look into this alternative, the oil tank is easier to remove than the bat box and then the bolt can't send you and the machine to the scrapyard... :wink:

PS...Search the threads for a thread on this...and get someone elses opinion too before doing this....I'm not an oil tank guru....
 
Oil tank clearance

Thanks to everyone that answered. I intend moving the bottom oil tnak mount hole in the battery tray, about 5mm west. This will give a consistant 5mm clearance between the back of the battery tray and the tank. Looking at the tank location now, the face of the oil tank will probably line up better in a vertical plane with the frame than original.

Just another little job to ensure I end up with a reliable mount.

Cheers Richard
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top